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The Eiffel Tower is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. And for a time, it was the tallest building ever constructed.

At 986 feet tall, the Eiffel Tower stood proud at the opening of the World's Fair held in Paris in 1889, when it made its debut. Designed by Gustav Eiffel, the tower is a commemorative monument to the French Revolution.

The Eiffel Tower is constructed of wrought iron, and it's 18,000 pieces of iron were assembled in just 21 months by Gustav Eiffel's crew. The assemblage of these pieces creates a latticework, and in this, the Eiffel tower is unique. The crew, which number around 300, used 2.5 million rivets in construction.

Gustav Eiffel considered wind forces when designing the tower. The latticework allows the wind to pass through. In high winds, the Eiffel Tower has a sway of about five inches.

The Eiffel Tower cost about 1.5 million dollars to construct, which was actually just under the anticipated costs. Gustav Eiffel brought the monument in under budget, much to the chagrin of other architects of the time. They were certain it would be far too expensive to build.

Nearly the entire cost of the Eiffel Tower was made back in the first year. How? It was one of the first structures to have passenger elevators. And everyone wanted to ride the elevators. The revenues from tickets the first year were nearly 1.5 million dollars.

Every seven years the Eiffel Tower is repainted in a rich chocolate brown. It takes 50 tons of paint to cover the structure. There are two restaurants in the Eiffel Tower, and in the winter, the first floor is turned into a skating rink. The first floor is 187 feet above ground.

The Eiffel Tower, though, is not just a tourist attraction. In 1909, it nearly faced destruction, but because it had an antenna that was used for telegraphy, the tower was saved.

In 1910, the structure became part of the International Time Service. In 1918, it was used for French Radio, and in 1957, French television made use of it as well.

Though in 1930 the Empire State Building overtook the Eiffel Tower in height, the Eiffel Tower remains one of the largest tourist attractions in the world. And though the Eiffel Tower is twice as tall as the Washington Monument, it weighs 70,000 tons less.

The Eiffel Tower is tall, slender, and wind resistant. She plays host to visitors from around the world, and is one of the greatest architectural achievements of all time.

Learn more about this author, Shelly Mcrae.
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